Case Western Reserve to turn The Temple-Tifereth Israel into performing arts center

Case Western Reserve University has partnered with The Temple-Tifereth Israel to use the building in University Circle as the home of its performing arts programs.
Renamed the Milton and Tamar Maltz Center for Performing Arts at The Temple-Tifereth Israel, CWRU will spend $25.6 million to renovate the 86-year-old building to bring it up to modern standards and to add classrooms, performance and rehearsal spaces, and faculty offices, said Margaret Carney, the university's architect.
Tamar and Milton Maltz, who founded radio station owner Malrite Communications Group Inc., donated $12 million to put toward the renovations. CWRU president Barbara Snyder said she will raise the remaining $13.6 million as quickly as possible.
“We will not be borrowing any money to do this project,” she said. “We are looking at a variety of potential donors for that.”
CWRU has been looking for a home for its performing arts programs for years because the music, theater and dance programs have been spread throughout the campus and performances have been held wherever possible, Ms. Snyder said.
“We think we have very strong programs in the arts and humanities but they have not been as visible as we think they deserve to be,” she said.
As a landmark building, The Temple seemed like the perfect place because it is not used very often but already has a large auditorium and various other spaces spread over 100,000 square feet, Ms. Snyder said. It's also less expensive to use an existing building rather than to build new, she said.
Senior Rabbi Richard Block said most of The Temple's activities take place at the newer Beachwood location, but the University Circle location still is used for major Jewish holidays and special events, which will continue even after CWRU moves in.
However, the building needs a lot of work, he said. The worn carpet is likely original, and its concrete walls, bronze chandeliers and stained glass windows likely haven't been polished since The Temple was built in 1924, he said. Air conditioning will be added to the auditorium, and the entire building will need deferred maintenance, he said.
“It's like your 85-year-old grandmother,” Rabbi Block said. “She's elegant and wise, but she probably goes to the doctor more than she used to.”
Once the money is raised, it will take only about 18 months for the renovations to be completed, estimated Ms. Carney. Among them will be building a new removable stage to be placed in front of the current wooden altar, which will be protected and be maintained for Jewish events, she said.
The seating also will need to be replaced, she said. The existing wooden pews are placed very close together and are only 16 inches wide, which is a tight squeeze for most people.
Ms. Carney said she will immediately begin working with faculty in the performing arts to figure out exactly what they need in the building.
“We're planning the details of how we use all the space,” she said. “Flexibility is part of what we really need.”